Truckee fire investigators believe heavy snow led to a propane pipe breaking, allowing gas to leak into a house that ultimately exploded and caught fire, completely destroying the home on Muir Court in Serene Lakes on April 28. 

Investigators found a broken gas line just outside of the home below 10 to 15 feet of snow. 

The house was unoccupied at the time and there were no injuries.

Fire Marshal Craig Harvey said, “In cases like these the snow shifts and settles sometimes breaking exposed pipes. The leaking propane gas, which is slightly heavier than the air, will flow into low spots and structures like this nearby home. Once that gas reaches explosive levels it can come in contact with a heat source like a water heater pilot light causing a large explosion followed by a fire, like what probably happened in this case.”  

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

South Lake Tahoe Police Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary on May 20 from 2-6pm at Lakeview Commons.

The event will also include the annual awards ceremony honoring SLTPD employees and community members at 4pm.

Booths will include:

• SWAT – Educational information.
• K9 – Tara, Ricci and Quatro will be in attendance with their handlers.
• Marine unit – The police boat will be docked at El Dorado Beach boat ramp and officers will provide demonstrations.
• History – Historic photos and information.
• Dispatch – Learn about the proper use of 911.
• Technology – Learn about the new drone operations program.

Moonshine Crazy will be playing for free. There will also be a barbecue hosted by the police and fire departments. A silent auction will  benefit Live Violence Free.

It’s going to be a quick summer break for Lake Tahoe Unified School District students.

Because of the snow days the last day of school is June 20. The first day for the 2017-18 school year is Aug. 28.

The state Department of Education waived five of the seven days the district applied for. Each year, the district builds three provisional snow days into its academic calendar.

The district called eight snow days this school year and five have been waived. 

Graduation will still be on June 9, and eighth-grade promotion on June 20.

·      California Tahoe Conservancy has closed the Upper Truckee Marsh to dogs. The ban will last through July 31 to protect critical breeding habitat for special, threatened and endangered species such as the Willow Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler.

·      Vicki Moore is now CFO for Douglas County.

·      Boys and girls ages 4-18 who want to play AYSO may sign up online.

·      Law enforcement officers throughout Nevada will be joining forces by increasing patrols for impaired drivers and riders through May 7.

·      The sculpture for the champions plaza in South Lake Tahoe is expected to be installed in August.

Forms are do soon for those wanting to enter the El Dorado County Fair.

Ribbons and Rides is the theme of the fair, which will be in Placerville June 15-18.

One of the special entries this year is the Farm Bureau art project in celebration of the organization’s 100th birthday.

It’s not just food and handcrafts that are judged. Computer programming, web design, graphic design, video game animation and programming are other categories, as is the ugliest decorated cake. 

Entry forms and more info are available online.

Bread & Broth 4 Kids’ Cram-a-Cruiser food drive will be at South Lake Tahoe’s Grocery Outlet on May 6 from 10am-3pm.

Community members will fill up the police car with food items such as: individual Cup-of-Noodles, cups of macaroni and cheese, canned soup or meals like ravioli and chili, fruit snacks, granola bars, individual packets of oatmeal, breakfast bars, individual servings of fruit cups and applesauce. 

A list will be provided at the event for those shopping at Grocery Outlet.

The food goes to local children in need who are in grades K-8 at Sierra House, Bijou, Tahoe Valley and South Tahoe Middle schools.  Each Friday, Bread & Broth 4 Kids fills 130 backpacks of food for students in local schools who have been identified as needing help with food over the weekends and holidays. Weekend bags contain seven meals and four snacks, all non-perishable and single serving size.

By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal

A Nevada bear biologist who’s been subjected to heated online attacks is striking back in court.

Carl Lackey, a biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, filed a lawsuit claiming critics used Facebook in a “vicious and calculated effort to damage his reputation and jeopardize his employment.”

The suit names the leader of the Bear League, an animal rights group, and two other people who Lackey claims are responsible for Facebook pages that are rife with attacks.

Read the whole story

Updated 11:54am

By Kathryn Reed

A grand jury has decided there is not enough evidence to indict a South Lake Tahoe police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man in June 2015.

With that decision, it means the civil suit can proceed.

“I am confident we will prevail,” attorney Dale Galipo, who is representing the victim’s mother, told Lake Tahoe News. “In a civil case the only thing a family can seek is monetary compensation. But what is even more important than money is some accountability and responsibility on behalf of the officer and department, and they don’t want to see it happen to someone else’s child.”

Josh Klinge

Kris Jackson

On June 15, 2015, Officer Josh Klinge killed 22-year-old Kris Jackson of Sacramento. Klinge said he thought Jackson had a gun when he fired the single bullet into the suspect’s chest as he was escaping through a window at the Tahoe Hacienda Motel on Lake Tahoe Boulevard.

Klinge had been on paid administrative for about a year. This was at taxpayers’ expense. The department is not able to fill his position until it is determined what his future status will be. The 37-year-old had 10 years of experience before joining the South Lake Tahoe department in January 2015.

“He is not working currently. Beyond that I’m not really able to explain or give you more details. We will wait for all the legal processes to be resolved,” Police Chief Brian Uhler told Lake Tahoe News.

Jackson was on criminal probation at the time of the shooting. On June 1, 2015, he had been arrested by South Lake Tahoe police officers for allegedly possessing several baggies of cocaine, scales and packaging materials. On May 21, 2015, he had been arrested by local officers on a Sacramento failure to appear warrant related to a drug possession charge.

The civil suit was filed in federal court in Sacramento in early 2016. It had been stayed while the grand jury process was going on.

El Dorado County used a court ruling from this year to convene a grand jury in this case with the possibility of charging Klinge with the unlawful use of deadly force.

El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson chose not to comment.

One of the problems with grand juries is oftentimes the documents are sealed, as is the case with this officer-involved shooting. No one knows who was interviewed, what was said or if there might have been even the appearance of favoritism toward one party or another based on evidence, witnesses and the line of questioning.

Galipo is trying to get the grand jury record unsealed, and is hoping it will be made public and not just for his eyes.

Jackson’s father, Patrick Jackson, is represented by attorney Michael Haddad. The two attorneys are working together.

And while Galipo generally finds police officers do a good job, he said they need to be held accountable when they cross the line.

“Who is going to police the police?” Galipo asked.

Depending on how the civil case goes, Galipo said there is the possibility Klinge could face federal criminal charges.

By Melinda Choy

Does it just seem like we need more than 24 hours in a day? I often think if I had eight more hours in a day that I could get so much more done. I realize this is an illusion and, in reality, the items on my list are never-ending. But for some reason the cultural message is that we are superhumans. We can do it all, get everything done, and look good while doing it.

Melinda Choy

I see this illusion in my patients. Many deal with chronic stress. Initially, the stress is addicting. It feels good to have adrenaline coursing through our bodies. Many of us find identity and identify accomplishments by how busy we are.

Unfortunately, there’s a downside to this behavior. Chronic stress taxes the endocrine system and creates a constant stream of cortisol, a stress hormone excreted by the adrenal glands. This initially provides strength to get through an emergency situation, but frequent signals to the system can cause a cortisol imbalance leading to weight gain, reproductive issues, insomnia, chronic inflammation, and digestive disorders. This can eventually manifest into chronic illnesses such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, autoimmunity, and chronic fatigue.

Carving out time in the day for relaxation to nourish the endocrine system is a difficult task. However, creating some intentional lifestyle habits can teach our physiology to work in our favor. Through years of practice, I have come up with basic tools to promote greater balance. Here are three of my eight lifestyle tips for promoting balance.

1) Breathe. We can’t live without breathing, but how we breathe can change the nervous system’s response. Deep breathing is the physiological response to trigger a switch from the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) to parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) autonomic nervous system. Instead of taking a smoking or cell phone break, take a breathing break. Breathe as you do dishes and other daily chores so you can be productive and relaxed at the same time.

2) Nourish. Eat and drink with consciousness. Slow down and do not multi-task while you eat. A prayer or blessing before your meal sets your nervous system into a parasympathetic, “rest and digest” state.

3) Reset. Ultradian rhythm, also called circadian rhythm in Western medicine, is an awareness of listening to the body’s needs. It occurs in physiological cycles every 90 to 120 minutes. Productivity improves when you take a break or support your body’s needs every 90 to 120 minutes. No one can be productive for more than 120 minutes without a break. Get up, move, and reset your body.

Melinda Choy, LAc, is the owner and an acupuncturist at Elevate Wellness Center.

Expect delays on Kingsbury Grade through June as NDOT removes debris from eroded roadside slopes and drainages.

Work takes place Monday through Friday from 7am-6pm on the Carson Valley side of the highway between the summit and Foothill Road. While travel delays will average less than five minutes, up to 30-minute delays are possible during major rock removal.

An approximately 60-f00t concrete barrier rail will also be added at the bottom of one of the slopes to reduce erosion onto the roadway.

Drivers should also anticipate lane and road closures in future months for additional roadway improvements, including replacing roadway drainage pipes and other roadside slope repairs.